Calling the wrong number makes me a MF

[Misanthropical]

I get a call put through that a man answers. So, I ask for the woman I'm looking for and he yells "MOTHER FUCKER!" and slams the phone down. I was like since all I did was ask to speak to the woman. I hadn't yet said where I was calling from or why.

I ask our Spanish speaking rep to call it, since the man answered in Spanish, but knew enough English to swear at me.

He kindly tells her she has the wrong number. Uhh, why did I get called a mother fucker and she gets kindly told she has the wrong number?

I'm sorry I don't speak Spanish, if I did it would make some calls go more smoothly, but to swear at me because I don't speak Spanish?

Yes, I have been screamed at before for the crime of not knowning Spanish, but most people are very understanding that I don't speak it and are thankful that I'm willing to get someone for them that does.

Don't get angry at me that I don't speak Spanish and I won't get angry at you for not speaking English, deal?

[powerboy]

Exactly. Same thing happened to me today. But my customer wanted to have free rent, because we don't speak spanish.. Which I will add, he didn't get that. I kicked him out. I should also add that, when he said he wanted free rent; that he said so in english.

[Ree]

OK, guys, we had to remove a post already. The "Spanish" issue is one that never goes well on here, yet comes up on an almost weekly basis.

We ask that you please show respect for other cultures and please keep bigotry and intolerance out of any posts.

[IHateStupidCustomers]

When I worked at a catalogue call center I once got screamed at because I couldn't speak French.

I'm sorry...if you are calling an American company, to buy products out of a catalogue printed in English....then speak English! And don't get pissy at me because that's what I speak.

[Raieth]

When I worked at a catalogue call center I once got screamed at because I couldn't speak French.

I'm sorry...if you are calling an American company, to buy products out of a catalogue printed in English....then speak English! And don't get pissy at me because that's what I speak.

Were they calling from canada? Cuse then they would have expected to be served in either french or english. Seeing as how those are the official languages.

[Kirachan]

once i was shopping at walmart and this lady came up to me and rattled off some Spanish. when i replyed "sorry, i don't speak Spanish" she looked at me and said " YOU DON"T KNOW SPANISH?!" (in English btw) and stormed off in a huff. i still don't understand what was going on and why me, just another customer was expected to know her preferred language. i am Hispanic so its understandable to assume that i might understand her, but thats no reason for her to get upset with me

[NightAngel]

... but to swear at me because I don't speak Spanish?

This is an assumption- you don't know that is why the guy said that.

It's possible you sounded like someone else or maybe, since he doesn't speak English well, he thought you said something rude. There are a lot of things that it could be- you not speaking Spanish is just one possiblity.

[PuckishOne]

We have a fair number of customers who speak Spanish, but the only time I've been taken to task for not speaking Spanish was the fiance of one of our customers, (calling for her because of the language difficulty) who was rather upset that we didn't have a Spanish-speaking person on staff. It occurred to me to point out the irony of the situation to him, but I figured he wouldn't appreciate it.

[Misanthropical]

This is an assumption- you don't know that is why the guy said that.

It's possible you sounded like someone else or maybe, since he doesn't speak English well, he thought you said something rude. There are a lot of things that it could be- you not speaking Spanish is just one possiblity.

What I said was "Hello, may I speak with Mary?" I don't think any of those words translates to anything rude.

The only thing that the Spanish rep and I could come up with is that he was upset that I don't speak Spanish.

Like I said, most Spanish speakers are very understanding about the fact that I don't speak the language and are glad that we have someone on staff who can talk to them.

[greensinestro]

I sure hope this thread does not get out of hand. I would agree, it is an assumption being all this guy did was say "mother f*****" to you and hung up. Now, if you had dealt with the lady I had the other day, who must have called my line four or five times, that's different. This woman was speaking to me in perfect English, and we at that time did not have a Spanish rep available. Yet, while speaking to me in perfect English, she would not allow me to help her. She would not give me her account info, would not tell me anything unless it was a Spanish rep. By the fifth phone call from her, she was steamed and cursed at me, in perfect English again, that we needed to provide better assistance to her.

Now, that is not bigotry on my part. This was a matter of this woman had someone available to help her, but her ego was so blown out of whack that she up and down refused to speak in English, even though she could speak the language. And, if customers want to call me a bigot because I'm answering the phone and speaking a language that they do indeed understand, then what is that saying about their character?

[IHateStupidCustomers]

Were they calling from canada? Cuse then they would have expected to be served in either french or english. Seeing as how those are the official languages.

Yeah, I know that french and english are both official languages...I gues my point is, I wouldn't call a Japanese company, for example, and complain if no one spoke English just because that was the official language of my country, you know?